Dr. Donna J. Nicol received her B.A. in history and Afro-Ethnic Studies from California State University Fullerton.  She graduated with a M.A. in American history from California State University Long Beach.  She went on to earn a M.A. in Higher Education Administration as well as a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Foundations of Education from The Ohio State University.  Dr. Nicol has worked in college academic support services at both Mount St. Mary’s College and Ohio State University.  Dr. Nicol was the recipient of the Gwen Kagey Award for Outstanding Research in African American Studies from The Ohio State University.   Nicol returned to CSUF as a faculty member in 2007.   Her research interests focuses corporate philanthropy and the politicization of multicultural education, critical race feminism, ethnic sexism in American popular culture and women’s grassroots activism.  Her most recent publications include “The Girls from Compton go to College”, co-written with Dr. Jennifer Yee which appears in Habitus of the Hood and “Teaching Agency and Analysis” which is set to appear in the Feminist Teacher Journal in fall 2012.  She has presented her research at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History Conference, the 40th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies at SFSU, Cal State Fullerton Diversity Forum and the Midwest Popular Culture Association Meeting in 2012.